E3 2018 is almost here, meaning just we're just weeks away from seeing the hottest games of the year descend onto sunny Los Angeles from June 9 to 14.
This year's show will see the long awaited debut of Super Smash Bros. for Switch, as well as a deep dive on hotly anticipated PlayStation games such as Spider-Man and The Last of Us II. What will Xbox have up its sleeve to compete? We'll have to wait and see.
Here's everything to look forward to at E3 2018, and how to keep up with all of the action from home.
Where and When to Watch
Can't make it to E3? No problem -- your couch is still the best seat in the house. All of E3's major press conferences will be streamed on Twitch, and you can expect to see most of the events on YouTube and Mixer as well. Here's what to watch.
- EA Play: June 9 @ 11 a.m. PT / 2 p.m ET
- Xbox: June 10 @ 1 p.m PT / 4 p.m. ET
- Bethesda: June 10 @ 6:30 p.m. PT / 9:30 p.m. ET
- Square Enix: June 11 @ 10 a.m PT / 1 p.m. ET
- Ubisoft: June 11 @ 1 p.m. PT / 4 p.m. ET
- PlayStation: June 11 @ 6 p.m. PT / 9 p.m ET
- PC Gaming Show: June 11 @ 3 p.m. PT / 6 p.m. ET
- Nintendo: June 12 @ 9 a.m. PT / 12 p.m. ET
Nintendo: Super Smash Bros. and Pokémon
Nintendo's E3 2018 will be dedicated almost entirely to Super Smash Bros., the new Nintendo Switch installment of the company's wildly popular all-star fighting game series. Much of the game is still a mystery right now -- will it be a port of Super Smash Bros. for Wii U, or a brand new game? And which characters will make the cut? We'll know for sure soon.
While Smash will be Nintendo's focus, expect plenty of other big surprises from the Big N. We'll likely get a closer look at the just-announced Pokémon Let's Go! Pikachu and Pokémon Let's Go Eevee, as well as a possible tease at the core Pokémon RPG coming in 2019. Nintendo may also shed some light on in-development titles such as Metroid Prime 4 and Bayonetta 3, and is rumored to be prepping a Star Fox-themed racing title.
Those craving some competitive action can check out the Splatoon 2 World Championship (starting June 11 at 3:30 PT), as well as the Super Smash Bros. Invitational 2018 (June 12 following the end of the Splatoon 2 tournament).
PlayStation: Spider-Man, The Last of Us II and Death Stranding
Sony is taking a different approach to this year's E3, providing a deeper dive on already announced titles rather than trying to dazzle with big reveals. In a blog post, the company said that its E3 2018 showcase will focus largely on four major titles: Spider-Man, The Last of Us II, Death Stranding, and Ghosts of Tsushima.
We haven't seen much of the latter game, which will be a samurai action title from the folks behind Infamous, so expect lots of never-before-seen gameplay. And given creator Hideo Kojima's track record, expect another bizarre, confusing trailer for Death Stranding.
Sony is also promising "stellar announcements" from third-parties and indie developers for both PS4 and PlayStation VR. Expect to see new Call of Duty and Destiny content on Sony's stage, as well as a few surprises, including possibly the debut of Capcom's long-rumored Devil May Cry 5.
Xbox: A Big Mystery
Out of gaming's big three, Xbox's E3 is the biggest mystery right now. The Xbox One X is already out there, and the only big, confirmed 2018 Microsoft game not out yet is the oft-delayed Crackdown 3. With the PS4 and Switch crushing it with their exclusive game lineups, the pressure's on Microsoft to deliver on first-party content.
Fortunately, there's plenty of room for the company to do just that. Microsoft's two flagship franchises will likely return in the form of Halo 6 and Gears of War 5, the former of which could arrive as soon as this fall. Forza Horizon 4 seems like a guarantee given the racing series' release schedule, and we'll likely get a better look at much-anticipated platformer Ori and the Will of the Wisps.
Microsoft typically devotes lots of E3 time to new hardware and features, so expect more news on the backward compatibility front, as well as a possible new Xbox Elite controller. Will we see beloved franchises like Fable and Perfect Dark come back? Time will tell.
The Best of the Rest: Square Enix, Bethesda and More
Square Enix is having its first E3 press conference in quite a while this year, so expect more looks at Kingdom Hearts III, Shadow of the Tomb Raider and the company's untitled Avengers game. We might even see more of the much-anticipated Final Fantasy VII remake, but we're not holding our breath.
Bethesda is teasing a mysterious new Fallout title dubbed Fallout 76 -- it's unclear whether this is a new full-fledged Fallout RPG, a multiplayer game, or a mix of both, but we'll likely know for sure come E3. The company also took the wraps off of open-world apocalypse shooter Rage 2, so expect the company's E3 showcase to feature it heavily. As far our personal wishlist goes, we're due for a sequel to 2016's excellent Doom reboot, and now would be a good time for Bethesda to finally show off a proper new Elder Scrolls game.
EA will return with its annual showcase, which will likely feature lots of Anthem and Battlefield V gameplay. New looks for the latest Madden, FIFA and NBA games are a safe bet as well.
Rounding out E3's major third-parties is Ubisoft, who will be showing off loot-shooter The Division 2, open-world racer The Crew 2, and pirate combat game Skull and Bones. We're hoping to finally see a new Splinter Cell game (series star Sam Fisher did just make a guest appearance in Ghost Recon), and given the success of Mario + Rabbids: Kingdom Battle, we wouldn't be surprised to see another major Ubisoft-Nintendo collaboration for Switch.
